Marxism

Marxism is a socio economic theory based on material conception of historical development

propounded by German philosophers Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels in the 19th century. The
theory gives an explanation of ho society or!s and history forms on the basis of class
relations and class conflict. it also suggests ho capitalism leads to discord in the society and it
should end via establishment of a communist regime. Today Marxism has breached out into
several schools of thought and ne philosophies have emerged by using certain aspects of
Marxism. There has been a lot of debate amongst various school of Marxism and thus a lot of
contradictions.
Marxist philosophy on the simplest level argues that economic and social system is based on
productive system hich encompasses a superstructure. The elements of this superstructure
include the forces of production that is labor" machine technology" capitalist oners. The modes
of production entail various social relations that encompass the superstructure. #hen relations
forces or modes of production and relations of production $class relations created by the forces of
production% clash ith each other due to say ine&ualities in ealth" conflict arises. 'ertainly one
class ould alays be dominant over others and this ould ultimately lead to revolution. (n this
ay history entails series of revolutions based on conflicts among classes and thus history
becomes a class struggle itself.
'apitalism poses a threat to this theory of Marxism as Marxism aims for a society based on
socialist ideas of e&uality and liberty. (n this !ind of a society there is cooperative onership and
no privati)ation of property unli!e capitalism. 'apitalism is based on private onership and
private property" hich Marxism completely negates. Marxism aims to free the orld from the
tyrannical forces of capitalism. The production in socialist economy is not meant for profit but
for common use. (ne&ualities in ealth and exploitation of the labor class cease to be. * marx
has argued- "*t a certain stage of development" the material productive forces of society come
into conflict ith the existing relations of production or+ this merely expresses the same thing in
legal terms+ ith the property relations ithin the frameor! of hich they have operated
hitherto. From forms of development of the productive forces these relations turn into their
fetters. Then begins an era of social revolution,.
Concepts and terminology
Marxism is primarily based on the idea of historical material hich states that relations in the
society are based on the means of production hich form the basis of the superstructure. -istory
as stated above is based on class struggles of ealth and poer hich entails the material
nature. -istory has evolved through four main developments in the relations of production that
is" primitive communism" slavery" feudal society and capitalism $hich is the earliest%. These
four stages encompassed struggles and conflicts amongst socio economic classes to transform
from one stage to another.
Marxist philosophy then describes the relations of production by stating . traditional groups of
classes/ oners of the forces of production" laborers and proletariat. 'apitalism only names the
first to and does not account for the third. 'lass consciousness emerges ith bourgeoisie or the
ploteraiat ho possess aareness of their on existence in the social orld. (n capitalist society"
the oners holds absolute poer and profit and the goods produced valued in terms of
production costs. Marxist theory places the value in the amount of labor that goes into production
hich neither capitalist nor economists do or accept. 'apitalism places fundamental importance
to the exploitation of
the labor force and economist places value of the good that ould be paid in the mar!et place.
*s mentioned above" the revolution and evolution of history becomes a series of class struggles.
0imilarly folloing capitalism should be the ultimate stage of history/ socialism. (t shall
represent a classless " stateless and even moneyless state and the ploteraiat. * corollary of this is
a communist state" hich a single party state or!ing on the principles of socialism" state
onership of resources and centrally planned economies. Though communist states have claimed
for their allegiance ith socialism" yet the state onership by a single party has made then
orthy of criticism of being a totalitarian state per se. * good example of this is the soviet model
here communism becomes another name of state capitalism.
There is another corollary called political Marxism hich emerged saying ho could the
proletariat cannot establish control over bourgeois state ithout violent revolution" proposed by
1ladimir 2enin a 3olshevi! leader. 2enin explained 4this elementary truth of Marxism" that the
victory of socialism re&uires the 5oint efforts of or!ers in a number of advanced countries4
$2enin" 0ochineniya $#or!s%" 6th ed 1ol 72(1 p819.%
Marxism 2eninism thus refers to economic theory of Marx and revolutionary theories of 2enin
hich he applied in the :ctober revolution in ;ussian and across Europe. :ther theories
developed out of the politics in Marxism ere Trots!yism" Maoism" 2eft communism etc.
Marxism itself diverged into various other fields li!e art and literature apart from politics and
economics. The theory of Marxist humanism" Marxist de leonism" Marxist feminism" Marxist
geography" Marxist literary criticism" Marxist philosophy of nature " Marxist aesthetics" Marxist
theory of technology" Marxist theory of alienation are principal examples of this. Marxism as a
theory has found a ay into every field and has been revised in various ays and applied by
various theorists. Even in the contemporary orld" Marxism has found its applications and uses.
The idea that philosophy proposes of a society based on socialism folloing the capitalist stage
is &uite utopist. #e all !no it is impractical to have a classless society and collective
onership. #ith the forces of globali)ation and liebralisation" diverse societies have emerged
and ne classes ith their different consciousness are being formed. (n a society as diverse as
ours" it is difficult to assume socialism as a plausible reality ever. <rogress is entailing
diversification in terms of ealth" ine&uality" classes and so on. That is hy e have so many
corollaries of Marxism in politics and sociology hich enable this theory to be a near reali)ation
per se.